There is one thing we know for certain: Disney is unhappy with the current incarnation of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” and has ordered reshoots to lighten the supposed serious tone of the movie. The initial reports suggested that the reshoots will be extensive, with director Gareth Edwards and co. returning for a substantial amount of additional filming. But just how much is going to change?
READ MORE: Mads Mikkelsen Reveals His ‘Rogue One’ Role
According to Making Star Wars, who have pretty good intel on these kinds of things, 40% of the film is expected to be reshot, across eight weeks, which is double the initial reports that said it would just be four weeks of work. That’s certainly a considerable amount, considering the movie is due in cinemas in six months. Does that mean they are scrapping 40% of the movie entirely? I doubt it. I’d imagine they are beefing up or changing certain scenes to reflect the shift in tones. That said, it’s going to be a pretty big effort, with 32 sets reportedly being rebuilt.
However, as a reminder that all rumors should be taken with a grain of salt, the site also says that Christopher McQuarrie, who reportedly did a pass on the script for ‘Rogue One’ early on, would be working with Edwards on set during the reshoots. But that’s completely untrue.
“If there are any reshoots on ‘Rogue One,’ I’m not supervising them. For any outlet to say so is not only wrong, it’s irresponsible. Gareth Edwards is a talented filmmaker who deserves the benefit of the doubt,” McQuarrie told Slashfilm. “Making a film – let alone a ‘Star Wars’ chapter – is hard enough without the internet trying to deliberately downgrade one’s years of hard work. Who does that even serve? Let him make his movie in peace.”
All that said, the vibe on the production is apparently very good, with everyone seizing the opportunity to make the best movie possible. The lead up to December 16th is certainly going to be as interesting, if not more, than the story behind the heist of the plans for the Death Star.